I've had a long history of GAD and panic attacks causing difficulty eating. I believe I'm in perimenopause due to irregular periods and other symptoms. When a "neverending" period happened to me last month, it touched off such bad anxiety that I've begun having trouble eating again. And it terrifies me! can anyone relate? I'm so scared. I'm on Zoloft and Xanax.

Hi LauraQ and welcome! I am sorry that you are going through the double whammy of anxiety and hormones...they do play off of each other!

At the height of my anxiety/panic disorder, I was having a lot of trouble with appetite. When panic would strike, it was like my body shut down in the digestive sense, and I love to eat! Once I got my anxiety under control, my appetite returned to normal.

Besides the rx, have you sought treatment for your anxiety? Many members here, myself included have found relief through therapy. If you have not tried this, I would suggest seeking a therapist who offers CBT, a therapy that is highly recommended for treating A/P.

Also, check out our Anxiety Resource Guide (3rd post main page) It is full of links for breathing/relaxation exercises that can be practiced daily to reduce stress.

One last thing that you may want to try are natural aids for menopause related symptoms. Soy, Evening Primrose Oil and low-fat dairy products are all reported to be helpful.

I hope that this gives you a place to start. Again, welcome, and post often:) I hope that you find this a great place for suuport and information!

Take care,Scaredy CatModerator:Anxiety/Panic

"Courage is not the abscence of fear, it is feeling afraid and doing it anyway!"

"It is when we are most lost that we sometimes find our truest friends"

When I hit that time of life, everything got worse! I really thought I was losing my mind, so know you are not alone. They tried me on antidepressants and benzos but I felt worse and worse. Could not sleep, gaining mad weight, irritable beyond belief. I had been diagnosed GAD, depression, one Dr. said Bipolar another said no bipolar. Confusing right? You bet. I have found that when the change comes, if you are not really healthy it will be worse. My Dr. told me to take vitamin E (natural form d-alpha not dl-alpha) and work my way up to 1,200 iu a day. That really helped so much, my heart palpitations stopped, skins cleared up and it helped to regulate my crazy cycle. I also started taking vitamin C and B-complex, Niacin at bedtime helped me start sleeping again. Changing my diet was the big kicker. You have to kind of play around within safe limits to find what works for you. But I feel much better now. Alot of women I have talked to said Evening Primrose Oil stopped hot flashes and mood swings. Giving up caffeine was a real help.

Take it easy and try some lifestyle changes, hopefully you will find a combo that makes you feel better!

Laura, I am right there with you! I've had panic/anxiety for over 20 years, and have now begun the wonderful journey of perimenopause as well. After years of being very regular with my periods, they are now all over the place and it is very upsetting. My anxiety levels have been higher and it seems that each new change in my period or the way I feel just sends me over the edge! I'm trying to use my cbt which helps to some degree, but I feel like my hormones have got me so out of whack sometimes that doesn't even help. It's not a fun place too be that is for sure. I'll be around if you feel like talking!

Hi I'm 47 and think that my hormones are changing. I'm suffering terrible panic attacks and anxiety. I can't seem to get better this attack has lasted for 3 weeks. I have terrible palpitations and chest pain and I just keep thinking I'm dying! So it's a vicious circle do you think counselling will help and is this normal!

Brownie, what you are experiencing does sound pretty normal for perimenopause. I get the palpatations all the time and they drive me crazy!!! I'm 45, and my hormones are all over the place. I'll have terrible anxiety and panic attacks for a couple of weeks, then things seem to settle down a little and I do okay, just to start it all over again. I'm sure it has to do with my cycle, but knowing that doesn't make me feel any better when I'm so anxious! If you have any doubts, visiting a doctor would be a good start and yes I do believe that counseling can help. I've been in and out of counseling for years, and know that it has helped me tremendously! I have a wonderful, supportive website for perimenopause that I visit, but I'm not sure It's okay to post it here. Kitt or S.C. is that allowed?

UGH.. I am going through this right now! Just got my period, very late and am now very anxious, nauseous, shaky. I am 48 and peri-menopausal for sure but this is just terrible. I have always had anxiety and the panic attacks went away for a while but looks like the peri is bringing them back.